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It’s been a while, but I’m back with another list of shows that I’ve been loving in the new year. Do yourself a favor and sample some of these series this month. You wont be disappointed.

Sweet/Vicious (MTV) One of the most important shows to come out of MTV (maybe) ever, Sweet/Vicious takes on the topic of sexual assault on college campuses in a way that makes it easily digestible without losing the ability of its narrative to be a crucial call to action. The series follows Jules and Ophelia, two unlikely cohorts, who come together to seek revenge for sexual assault victims who fall through the cracks of the Title IX institutions at fictional, Darlington University. It’s witty and sweet with plenty of pop culture references that will keep you on your toes. But most importantly, it will open your eyes to an unfortunate trend on college campuses across our nation.

You can read my full review of the first season HERE @ Really Late Reviews

The OA (Netflix) This show has had a major divide among critics. It seems to be a situation where you either love it or hate it and there is no in between. The most definitive thing that I can say about The OA is that it surprised me. I’m generally not someone who enjoys programs that fall into the genres that this show does. What those genres are – I’m still not sure. It has supernatural elements along with a little bit of science fiction and mystery. There’s a romance at the show’s core, but it tends to rely mostly on the unlikely friendships that evolve in difficult situations (a topic that I can always get behind). Although I left the first season feeling like I still had a lot of questions, I wouldn’t be completely disappointed if this show didn’t get a second season. In the eight episodes it had, it told and interesting and cohesive story that while sometimes slow, kept me interested the entire time. It relies heavily on the trope of storytelling as we see the plot evolve from the story that our protagonist tells to a ragtag group of teens (and one of their teachers). The show is lyrical in its approach to plot and its ending (the main portion of the show that critics are still divided on). I would recommend taking the time to watch the first episode. You might just find yourself hooked.

One Day at a Time (Netflix) I cannot say enough good things about this show. Never before has a sitcom had me laughing through uncontrollable tears. This Netflix original is a remake of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom of the same name. While the bare bones of the characters and plot are the same, the remake takes on modern issues with a Cuban family living in Los Angeles. By far, the best change from the original is the addition of the grandmother character, played by Rita Moreno (a national treasure). But all of the actors bring something to the table that is unique and hilarious. Prepare yourself for a heart-wrenching coming out story and the exhibition of love that this family has for one another.

Riverdale (The CW) Riverdale is a show that came out of left field for me. Somewhere along the way I missed The CW’s promotion for the series, but was intrigued by a couple ads I saw leading up to the premiere. As a disclaimer, I know nothing about the world of Archie comics. In fact, I’ve never read a comic book in my life. But Riverdale seems to be using the comics as a platform to launch the next must see soapy teen drama a la Gossip Girl. In my opinion, it’s been too long since we’ve had something in this genre on The CW (although they’ve been putting out some pretty great content). The show is being described as a soapier version of Twin Peaks with its foggy ambiance and mysterious death (plus Twin Peaks cast member, Mädchen Amick, as Betty’s overbearing mother). It’s worth tuning into if you enjoyed the soapier fare of CW and WB past.

You can join me as I livetweet the show, Thursdays @ 9pm pst over on the @late_reviews Twitter account.